The Perak Sultanate was established in the early 16th century on the Perak River's banks by Muzaffar Shah I, the eldest son of Mahmud Shah, the 8th Sultan of Malacca. After Malacca's capture by the Portuguese in 1511, Muzaffar Shah sought refuge in Siak, Sumatra, before ascending the throne in Perak. His establishment of the Perak Sultanate was facilitated by local leaders, including Tun Saban. Under the new sultanate, Perak's administration grew more organized, drawing from the feudal system practiced in democratic Malacca. As the 16th century progressed, Perak became an essential source of tin ore, attracting regional and international traders.

However, the sultanate's rise attracted the attention of the powerful Sultanate of Aceh, leading to a period of tensions and interactions. Throughout the 1570s, Aceh persistently harassed parts of the Malay Peninsula. By the late 1570s, Aceh's influence was evident when Perak's Sultan Mansur Shah I mysteriously disappeared, fueling speculations of his abduction by Acehnese forces. This led to the Sultan's family being taken captive to Sumatra. As a result, Perak was briefly under Acehnese dominion when an Acehnese prince ascended the Perak throne as Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Shah. Yet, despite Aceh's influences, Perak remained autonomous, resisting control from both the Acehnese and the Siamese.

Aceh's grip on Perak began diminishing with the Dutch East India Company's (VOC) arrival in the mid-17th century. Aceh and the VOC vied for control over Perak's lucrative tin trade. By 1653, they reached a compromise, signing a treaty that granted the Dutch exclusive rights to Perak's tin. By the late 17th century, with the decline of the Johor Sultanate, Perak emerged as the last heir to the Malaccan lineage, but it faced internal strife, including a 40-year-long civil war in the 18th century over tin revenues. This unrest culminated in a 1747 treaty with the Dutch, recognizing their monopoly over the tin trade.